A '''hypothesis''' is an educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With General Science''. Anderson: Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 2000</ref> It is then tested with [[experiments]], and if it makes [[falsifiable]] claims and is supported by evidence, is called a [[theory]]. Thus, [[Gravity]], [[Quantum Mechanics]], [[Germ Theory]], and [[Evolution]] are all referred to as '''theories'''. A hypothesis is typically tested against the [[null hypothesis]], a default position that typically holds that something is not present, that there is no effect, or that there is no difference between treatment and control.<ref>[http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/gloss.htm#null_hypothesis Glossary: Null hypothesis]</ref>

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A '''hypothesis''' is an educated guess that attempts to explain an [[Scientific observation|observation]] or answer a question.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With General Science''. Anderson: Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 2000</ref> It is then tested with [[experiments]], and if it makes [[falsifiable]] claims and is supported by evidence, is called a [[theory]]. Thus, [[Gravity]], [[Quantum Mechanics]], [[Germ Theory]], and [[Evolution]] are all referred to as '''theories'''. A hypothesis is typically tested against the [[null hypothesis]], a default position that typically holds that something is not present, that there is no effect, or that there is no difference between treatment and control.<ref>[http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/gloss.htm#null_hypothesis Glossary: Null hypothesis]</ref>

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==References==

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[[category:Methodology of Science]]

[[category:science]]

[[category:science]]

Latest revision as of 19:35, 25 March 2013

A hypothesis is an educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question.[1] It is then tested with experiments, and if it makes falsifiable claims and is supported by evidence, is called a theory. Thus, Gravity, Quantum Mechanics, Germ Theory, and Evolution are all referred to as theories. A hypothesis is typically tested against the null hypothesis, a default position that typically holds that something is not present, that there is no effect, or that there is no difference between treatment and control.[2]